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Kimchi Deviled Eggs

I'm in love with the combination of kimchi and eggs, and these came to me when I was looking for a flashy appetizer to take to an author event at the Smithsonian. But they became a standby in Maine when I had abundant access to fresh eggs but no one in the house to share them with, since my sister and brother-in-law had decided to go vegan. This recipe depends on the use of good kimchi, so either make the Cabbage Kimchi or buy the best you can find, probably at an Asian market. These can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 2 days, but are best eaten within a few hours of being made.

Prick each egg just barely through the shell on the rounded end, using an egg pricker or a thumbtack.

Bring a medium saucepan full of water to a boil. Reduce the heat so that the water is at a simmer. Use a slotted spoon to carefully lower each egg into the water and to stir them frequently for the first minute or so of cooking. (This helps set the yolks in the center.)

Meanwhile, pour 4 cups of water into a large bowl and stir in 1 or 2 cups of ice.

Cook the eggs for 11 minutes, then transfer them to the ice water. As soon as you can handle the eggs, reach into the water and crack them all over, keeping them in the water. Remove them one at a time and remove a large piece of the shell at the rounded end, where an air pocket should be, then return them to the water. (This helps water get between the egg and the shell for easier peeling.) Remove one egg at a time, slip off the rest of the shell, and return it to the water as you continue peeling.

Transfer the peeled eggs to a countertop, and slice each one lengthwise in half. Pop out each yolk half with your fingers into the bowl of a food processor or blender, and set each white on a serving platter.

Drain and gently squeeze the kimchi of its liquid and finely chop it. Add 1/2 cup of the kimchi and all the cream cheese to the food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Taste, add salt as needed, and add Sriracha a little at a time if you want it to be spicier.

Use a teaspoon to carefully fill each egg white half with the kimchi mixture, mounding it on top. (Or, if you want to be fancy, spoon the filling into a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip, or a plastic ziplock bag with one corner cut off, and pipe it onto each egg white half.) Finely chop the remaining 1/4 cup of kimchi and sprinkle it on top of the eggs. Squirt a few drops of Sriracha on each egg.

Refrigerate the stuffed eggs for at least 1 hour, covered, so the cream cheese firms up, and serve.

It may surprise you to find that there is no actual pineapple in a pineapple bun. Instead, the pastry was named for its similar appearance to a pineapple's exterior. And they can be filled with just about anything.